High speed strander

ABSTRACT

A high speed cable strander including a rotatable frame and one or more wire carrying bobbins carried by the frame. The bobbins are positioned with their longitudinal axes extending approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the frame, and the wire is paid off the bobbins along the axes of the bobbins without requiring the bobbins to rotate.

United States Patent 1 Schoerner [11] 3,827,225 [451 Aug. 6, 1974 1 111G111 SPEED STRANDER [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 23,491 4/1859 Pittman et a1. 57/58.34 26,894 1/1860 Pittman 57/58.36 359,410 3/1887 Stong 519,915 l/1866 Blackie 57/58.32 1,659,565 2/1928 Finkelstein 57/58.36 X 1,983,413 12/1934 Spagnolo 57/58.54 2,010,888 8/1935 P001 57/58.32 X 2,098,892 11/1937 McKnight 57/15 X 2,410,674 11/1946 Nelson 57/58.55 2,412,196 12/1946 Ashbaugh et a1. 57/59 2,567,329 9/1951 Frazier 57/58.34 UX Raymond et a1 73/52 2,676,452 4/1954 Cook 2,703,958 3/1955 De Halleux 57/5036 2,752,749 7/1956 De Halleux 57/58.36 X 2,920,437 1/1960 Stark 57/17 3,138,511 6/1964 Cadwallader 57/15 X 3,172,247 3/1965 Chapuis et a1. 57/5852 3,396,522 8/1968 Biagini..... 57/15 3,448,569 6/1969 Brown et a1. 57/15 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 534,433 3/1941 Great Britain 574,149 3/1958 ltaly 57/58.32 1,510,141 2/1970 Germany Primary Examiner-John Petrakes Attorney, Agent, of F irm-Herbert M. Hanegan; Van C. Wilks [57] ABSTRACT A high speed cable strander including a rotatable frame and one or more wire carrying bobbins carried by the frame. The bobbins are positioned with their longitudinal axes extending approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the frame, and the wire is paid off the bobbins along the axes of the bobbins without requiring the bobbins to rotate.

20 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG 51974 SHEET 2 [IF 2 ROGER J. -SCHOERNER ATTORNEYS armm'f HIGH SPEED STRANDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When manufacturing cable from a plurality of wires, a core wire is usually passed through a path and cable wire is wrapped around the core wire as the core wire moves along its path. This function is usually carried out by relatively high speed machinery, which usually includes a rotatable strander frame or housing and a plurality of wire carrying bobbins located within the frame. The core wire is usually taken from a bobbin mounted outside the frame and passed through the frame, and the wire from the bobbins mounted inside the frame pay off the bobbins and are rotated with the frame about the core wire.

In the past, the wire carrying bobbins mounted on the frame of a strander have usually been mounted so that the bobbins were required to rotate along their own longitudinal axes in order to pay out their wire. This arrangement usually requires some control of the rotation of the bobbins, such as a brake mechanism for each bobbin, so that the bobbins will not continue to rotate when the frame of the strander has stopped its rotation.

The braking devices cause the tension in the wire extending from the bobbins to vary during the operation of the strander since the braking force required for a full bobbin is significantly more than that required for a partially depleted bobbin. While the initial braking force may be sufficient only to control the bobbins, the same braking force applied to a bobbin with a partially depleted wire supply is frequency sufficient to draw out or stretch the wire to a smaller gage, which causes the cable formed by the strander to be malformed. Also, because of the braking forces being applied to each bobbin before the initial start-up of the strander, there is also a tendency for the wire paying off the bobbins to be drawn before the strander reaches its normal operational speed, and the unnecessary braking of the bobbins during initial start-up of the strander requires more work to operate the strander. Because of the frequent malfunction of the brakes of the stranders, the wire from the bobbins within the frame of the strander occasionally continues to pay out after the operation of the strander has been terminated, and because of the different brake forces applied to different ones of the bobbins and because of the different tension created in the wire paying out from the bobbins due to the varying effects of the brake forces and supply of wire on the bobbins of the strander, the cable formed by the stranders frequently has one or more cable wires loosely wrapped about the core wire with the remaining wires more tightly wrapped.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present invention comprises a strander for forming cable at high speeds substantially without the hazard of forming a cable with loose or drawn wire strands. Wire carrying bobbins are mounted in a rotatable frame with their longitudinal axes extending approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the frame and the wire is pulled off the bobbins along the longitudinal axes of the bobbins without requiring bobbins to rotate about their axes. The wires drawn from the bobbins in this manner usually can be withdrawn with approximately the same wire tension throughout the entire pay off from the bobbin without requiring a braking device. In the situations where it is desirable to positively control the tension in the wire being drawn from the bobbins a simplified control means is positioned adjacent each bobbin which usually does not require adjustment and which is reliable to impart uniform tension on each wire from each bobbin. The arrangement is such that. when the rotation of the frame of the strander is terminated there is no tendency for the wire to pay out from any of the bobbins within the frame and when the rotation of the frame is begun there is virtually no static brake friction to overcome.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a high speed strander for forming cable wherein the cable wires are withdrawn from bobbins without requiring the bobbins to rotate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a high speed strander that is reliable, inexpensive, easy to maintain and tends to form a cable having cable wire each wrapped about a core wire with approximately the same wrapping tension.

Another object of this invention is to provide a high speed strander with a small number of moving parts, which is easy to load with wire.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification when taken into conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view, with parts broken away, of a high speed strander having its bobbins positioned in alignment with each other along the frame of the strander.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of a. high speed strander, similar to the FIG. 1, but showing a modified wire tension control device and cage structure. FIG. 3 is a partial side view of a high speed strander with the bobbins positioned about the axis of rotation of the frame. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a high speed strander showing a plurality of supports mounted along the length of the frame and with the bobbins displaced from the axis of rotation of the frame.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the wire shown as a tape to show the twisting of the wire as it pays off a bobbin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in more detail to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. ll shows high speed strander 10 which includes a frame or barrel 11 mounted on a plurality of roller bearings 12 so that it rotates on its longitudinal axis 14. Frame 11 is divided along its length by support partitions 15 and wire guide partitions 16. Each support partition 15 includes a bearing structure 18, and a bobbin support means 19 is carried by the bearing structure. Each bobbin support means includes a hub 20 and a bobbin support stem 21 pivotally connected to each hub 20 by means of pivot pin 22. Stems 21 and hubs 20 extend along the axis of rotation 14 of frame 1 l, and stems 21 are pivotal to a position normal to axis 14 about pivot pins 22. Hubs 2 are formed with a counterweight weight 24 so that each hub and its stern will normally remain stationary and rotate in bearing structure 18 with respect to frame 11 when the frame is rotated. A wire carrying bobbin is mounted on each stem 21-by pivoting the stem to an upright attitutde, extending a bobbin through an opening 23 of frame 11, and pivoting the bobbin and stem back into alignment with the axis of rotation 14 of the frame. A light-weight tension control means such as rotatable guide 26 is mounted on the end of each stem and remains attached thereto by cap 28. The arrangement is such that the longitudinal axis 29 of each bobbin extends along the axis of rotation 14 of frame 11. Each rotatable guide 26 includes a support arm 30 which extends out beyond the periphery of its bobbin 25 and a U-shaped tubular guide 31 is connected to the remote end of arm 30. Each U-shaped guide 31 is arranged to lift the wire from its bobbin 25 without causing the wire to engage the end flanges of the bobbin. U-shaped guide 31 are arranged to rotate freely about the axis 29 of its hub 20, stem 21 and bobbin 25 so that when its bobbin is full the U-shaped guide will rotate relatively slowly, and when its bobbin is substantially depleted of wire the guide will rotate at a higher angular velocity.

The wires paying off bobbins 25 are threaded through openings 32 of the wire guide partitions 16 which are aligned with the axis of rotation 14 of the frame, so that the wire from each bobbin 25 is withdrawn from the bobbin along the longitudinal axis of the bobbin. Thus, the bobbins are not required to rotate to allow the wire to pay out.

The wires passing through openings 32 of wire guide partitions 16 pass through openings 34 of support partitions 15 toward guide pulleys 35 connected to frame 11. The wires then more toward the winding end 36 of the frame, where they are received by second pulleys 38 and then guided to closing head 39. Core wire 40 pays off a bobbin 41 mounted outside frame 11 and enters the frame through rear opening 42. Core wire 40 is guided through the aligned openings 44 in the support partitions l5 and wire guide partitions 16 along the length of frame 11 until it reaches the winding end of the frame, whereupon it passes about guide pulleys 45 and 46 to return the core wire to the axis of rotation of the frame. The core wire pays out through the winding end of the frame, and the cable wires are wound about the core wire.

As is illustrated in FIG. 2, another form of the invention comprises a frame 48 that has smaller distances between its support partitions 49 and guide partitions 50 and includes bearing mounted bobbin holders 51 that have clamps 52 spaced thereabout for clasping an end flange of a bobbin. The bobbins are inserted down through the openings 54 in frame 48 and placed in abutment with bobbin holders 51 with clamps 52 maintaining the bobbin in this position. The bobbins may be of the type having sloped inner surfaces 55 on their end flanges 56 to assist the pay off wire from the bobbin, and the bobbins are counterweighted (not shown) to prevent their rotation with'frame 48. The tension control means for each bobbin is in the form of brush control 58 that comprises a series of bristles 59 extending radially outwardly from a sleeve 60 mounted on the end of spindle 61. Spindle 61 is connected at its end to flange 62, and flange 62 is clamped onto the end flange of the bobbin. In order to prevent the wire paying off a bobbin from engaging the end flange of the bobbin, a rotatable cover 62 is mounted on sleeve 60 and arranged to rotate freely about the end flange of the bobbin. With this arrangement, as the wire pays off its bob bin it initially engages thecurved ends of cover 62 and tends to rotate the cover so as to form a'friction-free engagement with the end of the bobbin assembly. When the wire passes through bristles 59 of brush control 58, the bristles will sequentially engage the wire as the wire is spun off the end of its bobbin and the bristles will tend to create a generally uniform tension in the wire without regard to the amount of wire remaining on the bobbin.

As is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bobbins of a strander can be spaced from the axis of rotation of the frame without losing the pay off characteristics illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The frame 65 is rotated and core wire 66 pays off its bobbin 68 and passes along the axis of rotation of the frame. The bobbins 69 are positioned with their longitudinal axes parallel to the axis of rotation of frame 65 and the cable wires are withdrawn from bobbins 69 along the longitudinal axes of the bobbins and passed through closing head 70 which rotates in unison with and forms a part of frame 65. The cable wires 71 are wrapped around core wire 66 as the frame rotates, and the tension control means used to control the tension of the cabe wires 71 can be either similar to that shown in FIG. 1 or in FIG. 2. Of course, a plurality of bobbins will be mounted on frame 65 and normally will be placed in a circular arrangement. Moreover, while only a single circle of bobbins is illustrated, it will be understood that concentric circles of bobbins can be placed on frame 65 if desired.

As is illustrated in FIG. 4, a series of support disks 75 are mounted on tubular axle 76 and core wire 78 passes through the axle. Each support disk supports a plurality of bobbins arranged in a circle about the axle, and the bbbins of support disk 75a are offset circumferentially from the bobbins of support disk 75b. The bobbins on support disks 75c and 75d are displaced radially outwardly of the bobbins mounted on support disks 75a and 75b, while the bobbins of support disk 75d are offset circumferentially from the bobbins on support disk 75c. With this arrangement, the wire from each bobbin pays out through aligned openings in each support disk ahead of it toward the winding end of the frame without having to bend around another bobbin. For instance, the wire paying off bobbin 79a will pass through aligned openings 80b, 80c, 80d and 802. This allows the cable wires to be drawn off each bobbin along the longitudinal axis of the bobbin and to continue its path of movement without being bent so as to reduce the hazard of work hardening the wire before it is wound or twisted about the core wire. As with the form of the invention shown in FIG. 3, the tension control means utilized to impart the proper tension in the wire being pulled from the bobbins can be either the brush control illlustrated in FIG. 2 or the rotatable guide illustrated in FIG. 1.

It should be noted that in all forms of the invention illustrated, the wire pays off the bobbins along the longitudinal axes of the bobbins without requiring the bobbins to rotate, and virtually no variable tension is experienced in the wire in spite of the varying supply of wire present on the bobbin. The result is that the cable formed by the wire is more likely to have uniform tension in its wound wires, and virtually no drawing of the wound wires will be experienced. Moreover, as is illustrated ifn FIG. 5 where the cable wire is illustrated as a tape, the cable wire is twisted along its length as it pays off a bobbin 25, and a full 360 twist is applied to the cable wire upon each withdrawal of the wire from the supply of wire on the bobbin. The cable wire maintains this twist or torsion after it has been wound upon the core wire 40. if the bobbin has been mounted in housing 11 so that its cable wire unwinds in a direction about the axis of the bobbin which is opposite to the direction of the rotation of frame ill, the twist or torsion in the cable wire will tend to maintain the cable wire in its wound configuration about the core wire. Thus, the twist in the cable wire has a tightening effect with re spect to the cable formed by the wires, and this torsion and tightening effect prevents the cable from bird caging or becoming unwound. Thus, the mounting of the bobbins within the housing with the axis of the bobbin extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the housing functions to cause the cable manufactured to be more tightly wound.

While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinbefore and as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A strander for forming cable or the like comprising a generally cylindrical rotatable frame, wire guide means for passing a core wire into one end of said frame, through said frame, and out the other end of said frame as said frame rotates, at least one bobbin support means supported by said rotatable frame and arranged to maintain a wire-carrying bobbin with its longitudinal axis extending approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of said frame, and wire feed out guide means for guiding wire from each bobbin in a direction generally along the longitudinal axis of the bobbin and through said rotatable frame without requiring the bobbin to rotate about its longitudinal axis as the wire plays off the bobbin.

2. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said bobbin support means is rotatably supported by said frame and includes a counterweight for maintaining said bobbin support means and the bobbin supported thereby in a generally fixed position while permitting said frame to rotate about said bobbin support means and its bobbin.

3. The strander of claim 1 and further comprising a brush member mounted adjacent one end of the bobbin and including bristles extending radially outwardly beyond the periphery of the bobbin into the normal path of travel of the wire being pulled from the bobbin.

4. The strander of claim 1 and further including a guide member mounted adjacent one end of the bobbin and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the bobbin and defining a guide opening beyond the periphery of the bobbin for receiving and guiding the wire pulled from the bobbin.

5. The strander of claim 4 wherein said guide member is adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said frame whereby a twist may be imparted to wire guided from each of said bobbins that will tend to maintain the wire in a tightly wound configuration when stranded with the core wire.

6. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said bobbin support means is constructed and arranged to pivot its bobbin to a position where the longitudinal axis of the bobbin extends generally normal to the axis of rotation of said frame.

7. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said at least one bobbin support means comprises a plurality of bobbin support means spaced from the axis of rotation of said frame.

8. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said at least one bobbin support means comprises a plurality of bobbin support means spaced along the axis of rotation of said frame.

9. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said bobbin comprises a spool including a generally cylindrical body and end flanges extending generally radially outwardly from the ends of said cylindrical body with at least one of said end flanges defining a generally conically-shaped surface sloped outwardly away from said cylindrical body.

10. A stranderfor forming cable or the like comprising a rotatable frame, wire guide means arranged to pass core wire into one end of said frame at the axis of rotation of said frame, then along the frame through a path displaced from the axis of rotation of said frame, then out the other end of said frame at the axis of rotation of said frame, a plurality of bobbin support means supported by said frame arranged. to support wire carrying bobbins at intervals along the axis of rotation of said frame with the longitudinal axis of each of said wire carrying bobbins oriented approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of said frame, and wire feed out guide means for guiding wire from each bobbin in the same general direction as the direction of movement of the core wire through said frame, first from the periphery and about one end of the bobbin and toward the longitudinal axis of its bobbin without requiring the bobbin to rotate about its longitudinal axis, then along the frame through a path displaced from the axis of rotation of said frame about any other bobbins toward the other end of said frame, then out the other end of said frame at the axis of rotation of said frame.

11. The strander of claim 10 and wherein said rotatable frame defines openings along its length at the position of each bobbin carried in said frame, and wherein said bobbin support means comprises a stem member pivotal at one of its ends between a position parallel to the axis of rotation of said frame and a position extending toward its opening in said frame.

12. The strander of claim l0 and wherein each of said bobbin support means is rotatable with respect to said frame about axes approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of said frame, and wherein each of said bobbin support means includes a counterweight for restraining its rotation during the rotation of said frame.

13. The strander set forth in claim 10 and wherein said wire feed out guide means includes a guide member mounted adjacent one end of each bobbin and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the bobbin and defining a wire guide opening beyond the periphery of the bobbin for receiving and guiding the wire from the bobbin about the end of the bobbin.

14. The strander of claim 13 wherein said guide member is adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said frame whereby a twist may be imparted to wire guided from'each of said bobbins that will tend to maintain the wire in a tightly wound configuration when stranded with the core wire.

15. A strander for forming cable or the like comprising a rotatable bobbin support frame, a plurality of bobbin support means spaced along the axis of rotation of said bobbin support frame, each bobbin support means being constructed and arranged to support a plurality of bobbins at positions radially spaced from the axis of rotation of said support frame and out of longitudinal alignment with the bobbins of the other bobbin support means along said support frame and with the longitudinal axes of the bobbins oriented approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of said support frame, and wire guide means arranged to guide wire from each bobbin along the length of said support frame without requiring the rotation of the bobbins about their longitudinal axes.

16. A method of stranding cable or the like from a plurality of wires comprising moving a core wire along its length through a path extending along an axis of rotation of a rotating bobbin support frame from outside the bobbin support frame into the bobbin support frame, then parallel to and displaced from the axis of rotation along the length of the bobbin support frame, and then along the axis of rotation of the bobbin support frame from inside the bobbin support frame to outside the bobbin support frame while revolving that portion of the core wire in the portion of the path displaced from the axis of rotation about the axis of rotation of the bobbin support frame, playing out cables from the ends of bobbins located inside the path of revolution of the core wire without requiring the bobbins to rotate and guiding the bobbin wires along their lengths through paths extending parallel to and displaced from the axis of rotation through the bobbin support frame and then along the axis of rotation of the bobbin support frame while revolving those portions of the bobbin wires in the portions of their paths displaced from the axispf rotation about the axis of rotation of the bobbin support frame and about the bobbins within the paths of revolution of the bobbin wires.

17. A strander for forming cable or the like comprising an elongated frame having an inlet end and an outlet end and an axis of rotation extending longitudinally thereof, wire guide means at each of said inlet and outlet ends positioned along said axis of rotation for guiding a core wire through said frame, at least one bobbin support means carried by said frame for rotatably-supporting at least one wire-carrying bobbin relative to said frame with its longitudinal axis extending approximately parallel to the axis of rotation thereof, and means for restraining rotation of said at least one bobbin about its longitudinal axis, whereby wire may be withdrawn generally axially therefrom independently of rotation of said frame and stranded with said core wire as said frame rotates.

18. A strander as defined in claim 17 including wire feed out guide means mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said at least one bobbin for guiding wire withdrawn generally axially therefrom as said at least one bobbin is restrained against rotation about its longitudinal axis, whereby the tension on the wire as it is withdrawn from said at least one bobbin will be substantially constant irrespective of the wire supply remaining thereon.

19. A strander as defined in claim 18 wherein said vwire feed out guide means are adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said frame whereby a twist may be imparted to wire withdrawn from said at least one bobbin that will tend to maintain it in a tightly wound configuration when stranded with said core wire.

20. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of playing out cables from the ends of bobbins includes unwinding the bobbin wires in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the frame whereby the bobbin wires will be twisted so as to be maintained in a tightly wound configuration when stranded with the core wire.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE QER'HFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No, 3I827I225 Dated August 6, 1.974

Inventofle') Roger J. Schoerner It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line numbered 13, after the, "wire" should read wires Column 2, line numbered 64, after hub, 2" should'read Column 4, line numbered 34, "bbbins" should read bobbins Signed and sealed this 5th day of November 1974.

Atreem Mflfley MM Home (2., MARSHALL DANN Commissimner of patents FORM PO-IOSO (10-69) USCOMM DC u03764;,

* u.s. sovzmmem' rnmnue omce: Ian o-aas-au, 

1. A strander for forming cable or the like comprising a generally cylindrical rotatable frame, wire guide means for passing a core wire into one end of said frame, through said frame, and out the other end of said frame as said frame rotates, at least one bobbin support means supported by said rotatable frame and arranged to maintain a wire-carrying bobbin with its longitudinal axis extending approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of said frame, and wire feed out guide means for guiding wire from each bobbin in a direction generally along the longitudinal axis of the bobbin and through said rotatable frame without requiring the bobbin to rotate about its longitudinal axis as the wire plays off the bobbin.
 2. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said bobbin support means is rotatably supported by said frame and includes a counterweight for maintaining said bobbin support means and the bobbin supported thereby in a generally fixed position while permitting said frame to rotate about said bobbin support means and its bobbin.
 3. The strander of claim 1 and further comprising a brush member mounted adjacent one end of the bobbin and including bristles extending radially outwardly beyond the periphery of the bobbin into the normal path of travel of the wire being pulled from the bobbin.
 4. The strander of claim 1 and further including a guide member mounted adjacent one end of the bobbin and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the bobbin and defining a guide opening beyond the periphery of the bobbin for receiving and guiding the wire pulled from the bobbin.
 5. The strander of claim 4 wherein said guide member is adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said frame whereby a twist may be imparted to wire guided from each of said bobbins that will tend to maintain the wire in a tightly wound configuration when stranded with the core wire.
 6. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said bobbin support means is constructed and arranged to pivot its bobbin to a position where the longitudinal axis of the bobbin extends generally normal to the axis of rotation of said frame.
 7. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said at least one bobbin support means comprises a plurality of bobbin support means spaced from the axis of rotation of said frame.
 8. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said at least one bobbin support means comprises a plurality of bobbin support means spaced along the axis of rotation of said frame.
 9. The strander of claim 1 and wherein said bobbin comprises a spool including a generally cylindrical body and end flanges extending generally radially outwardly from the ends of said cylindrical body with at least one of said end flanges defining a generally conically-shaped surface sloped outwardly away from said cylindrical body.
 10. A strander for forming cable or the like comprising a rotatable frame, wire guide means arranged to pass core wire into one end of said frame at the axis of rotation of said frame, then along the frame through a path displaced from the axis of rotation of said frame, then out the other end of said frame at the axis of rotation of said frame, a plurality of bobbin support means supported by said frame arranged to support wire carrying bobbins at intervals along the axis of rotation of said frame with the longitudinal axis of each of said wire carrying bobbins oriented approximately parallel to the axis of rotaTion of said frame, and wire feed out guide means for guiding wire from each bobbin in the same general direction as the direction of movement of the core wire through said frame, first from the periphery and about one end of the bobbin and toward the longitudinal axis of its bobbin without requiring the bobbin to rotate about its longitudinal axis, then along the frame through a path displaced from the axis of rotation of said frame about any other bobbins toward the other end of said frame, then out the other end of said frame at the axis of rotation of said frame.
 11. The strander of claim 10 and wherein said rotatable frame defines openings along its length at the position of each bobbin carried in said frame, and wherein said bobbin support means comprises a stem member pivotal at one of its ends between a position parallel to the axis of rotation of said frame and a position extending toward its opening in said frame.
 12. The strander of claim 10 and wherein each of said bobbin support means is rotatable with respect to said frame about axes approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of said frame, and wherein each of said bobbin support means includes a counterweight for restraining its rotation during the rotation of said frame.
 13. The strander set forth in claim 10 and wherein said wire feed out guide means includes a guide member mounted adjacent one end of each bobbin and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the bobbin and defining a wire guide opening beyond the periphery of the bobbin for receiving and guiding the wire from the bobbin about the end of the bobbin.
 14. The strander of claim 13 wherein said guide member is adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said frame whereby a twist may be imparted to wire guided from each of said bobbins that will tend to maintain the wire in a tightly wound configuration when stranded with the core wire.
 15. A strander for forming cable or the like comprising a rotatable bobbin support frame, a plurality of bobbin support means spaced along the axis of rotation of said bobbin support frame, each bobbin support means being constructed and arranged to support a plurality of bobbins at positions radially spaced from the axis of rotation of said support frame and out of longitudinal alignment with the bobbins of the other bobbin support means along said support frame and with the longitudinal axes of the bobbins oriented approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of said support frame, and wire guide means arranged to guide wire from each bobbin along the length of said support frame without requiring the rotation of the bobbins about their longitudinal axes.
 16. A method of stranding cable or the like from a plurality of wires comprising moving a core wire along its length through a path extending along an axis of rotation of a rotating bobbin support frame from outside the bobbin support frame into the bobbin support frame, then parallel to and displaced from the axis of rotation along the length of the bobbin support frame, and then along the axis of rotation of the bobbin support frame from inside the bobbin support frame to outside the bobbin support frame while revolving that portion of the core wire in the portion of the path displaced from the axis of rotation about the axis of rotation of the bobbin support frame, playing out cables from the ends of bobbins located inside the path of revolution of the core wire without requiring the bobbins to rotate and guiding the bobbin wires along their lengths through paths extending parallel to and displaced from the axis of rotation through the bobbin support frame and then along the axis of rotation of the bobbin support frame while revolving those portions of the bobbin wires in the portions of their paths displaced from the axis of rotation about the axis of rotation of the bobbin support frame and about the bobbins within the paths of revolution of the bobbin wires.
 17. A strander for forming cable or the liKe comprising an elongated frame having an inlet end and an outlet end and an axis of rotation extending longitudinally thereof, wire guide means at each of said inlet and outlet ends positioned along said axis of rotation for guiding a core wire through said frame, at least one bobbin support means carried by said frame for rotatably supporting at least one wire-carrying bobbin relative to said frame with its longitudinal axis extending approximately parallel to the axis of rotation thereof, and means for restraining rotation of said at least one bobbin about its longitudinal axis, whereby wire may be withdrawn generally axially therefrom independently of rotation of said frame and stranded with said core wire as said frame rotates.
 18. A strander as defined in claim 17 including wire feed out guide means mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said at least one bobbin for guiding wire withdrawn generally axially therefrom as said at least one bobbin is restrained against rotation about its longitudinal axis, whereby the tension on the wire as it is withdrawn from said at least one bobbin will be substantially constant irrespective of the wire supply remaining thereon.
 19. A strander as defined in claim 18 wherein said wire feed out guide means are adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said frame whereby a twist may be imparted to wire withdrawn from said at least one bobbin that will tend to maintain it in a tightly wound configuration when stranded with said core wire.
 20. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of playing out cables from the ends of bobbins includes unwinding the bobbin wires in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the frame whereby the bobbin wires will be twisted so as to be maintained in a tightly wound configuration when stranded with the core wire. 